Extra Fort Smith &#8216;Future&rsquo; Forum Monday

Based on what city officials call the success of recent public forums held to hone Fort Smith’s future, an extra event will be held Monday.

“The Comprehensive Plan forums that were held recently were very successful,” Mayor Sandy Sanders said. “As a result, an additional forum has been set for Monday at 11:30 a.m. at Creekmore Park in the Rose Room.”

Public forums dedicated to shaping Fort Smith’s future were held in the summer and fall as part of the city’s 18-month effort to update its 11-year-old Comprehensive Plan. Hundreds of residents were asked about their city’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges. During events organized by the the city’s consulting firm, Wallace Roberts & Todd, residents also mapped out where they’d like to see growth occur.

“If people did not have an opportunity to weigh in at that point as to what our city will look like, we’ll do the same thing (Monday),” Sanders said.

The update, like the original plan, is designed to “guide the growth and progress of the city” for 20 years.

“The question is not if we’re going to grow,” WRT spokesman John Fernsler told the Fort Smith Board of Directors in late October. “The question is how and where we’re going to grow.”

The Comprehensive Plan update officially began in May with an open house, followed by the first round of public forums in July. According to Wallace Roberts & Todd, more than 400 residents were directly involved in the visioning process.

A Comprehensive Plan steering committee accepted a vision statement for Fort Smith based on input from the summer forums. It states that Fort Smith, by 2035, “is recognized throughout the region and the nation as an exceptional community, characterized by its authenticity and proud frontier heritage, its outstanding quality of life, hometown character, vibrant downtown and scenic riverfront.”